Tien Chi

The Tien Chi is a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by Taiwan. Its short 120 km range makes it incapable of striking China from mainland Taiwan, but it would be within range of China from forward-based positions on Tungyin island, where it is believed to be deployed.

Tien Chi Development

Little background information is available on the Tien Chi. Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is believed to manage the project. Analysts have speculated that it could be derived from Taiwan’s Tien Kung 2 (Sky Bow 2) surface-to-air missile, but the Taiwan Defense Ministry has denied this theory.1 Although the Tien Chi was originally intended to have a range of 300 km while carrying a 500-kg payload, the missile is currently capable of a 120 km range while carrying a 100 to 200 kg payload. The missile was reportedly first test fired in 1997.2 According to one analyst, it appears that development of the Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missile has supplanted the Tien Chi program in terms of priority.3

Specifications

The Tien Chi has a length of 8.0 m, a body diameter of 0.41 m, and a launch weight of approximately 1,150 kg. The missile incorporates inertial navigation and GPS technology, and has a reported range of 120 km while carrying an estimated 100-200 kg submunitions warhead. It is a two-staged missile and is solid-fueled.4

Service History

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Taiwan has deployed 15 to 50 of the missiles on the Tungyin and Penghu Islands.5

Missile Threat brings together a wide range of information and analyses relating to the proliferation of cruise and ballistic missiles around the world and the air and missile defense systems designed to defeat them. Missile Threat is a product of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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